At Last
by kimmiesjoy
Summary: Life is like a song, and all the songs make sense. "Five years ago..." He says softly, "I didn't know you."


Just because they started filming the **100th** episode today and I have an inability to handle my emotions...and I'm a sap!

* * *

_**"Life is like a song..."**_

* * *

"Dance with me." His lips flutter past her ear, the air vibrating with the intoxicating hum of his request.

Behind him the band starts up again, soft piano and violin and her eyelids flutter with want.

"We can't." She dips her head, her hair pinned back from her face and Kate smiles shyly, suddenly missing the loss of it falling to hide her face, the intensity of his gaze too much. "Someone will see."

"Does it matter?" His voice is rich, questioning and wondering. One finger trails the length of her arm circling her fingers where they wrap around the champagne flute. "They all know."

"Yes." Her eyes lift to his, "No." She smiles.

"Can't you hear the music Kate?" He steps closer, takes the glass from her fingers and sets it on the table. He sighs deeply at the gentle sway of her body, moving intrinsically in time with the music, almost unknowingly in time and in tune with the melody.

His fingers skim the soft teal at her back making the silk flutter against her skin and Kate shivvers, "People will talk if we do." Her lips quirk at the procrastination, her argument invalid before it even leaves her lips.

"People will talk if we don't." He counters, feeling her press back into him. He takes her hand, the tips of her fingers just glancing the center of his palm. He smiles. "Please?"

She gives a soft shake of her head at how willing she is to give in, stepping into him as she does. His smile widens when she moves around him, letting him turn her under his arm, twirling with a laugh until her fingers hook at the bend of his elbow.

With one hand on the small of her back, soft exposed skin he sweeps with the pad of his thumb, and one holding her fingers tenderly, Castle pulls her into the curve of his body. The music lifts out of the near whining call of the violins, surging through the singers voice and they lift with her, gliding around the floor.

Kate's eyes close as they turn, the warmth of him enveloping everywhere, not just the bare skin of her back, her shoulders or the long vee at the front of her dress. Not just from the press of his fingers over the pulse in her wrist, not over muscles that ripple under his touch as she pauses on the spot, pivots on her heel and he dips her.

Here, there and everywhere in between lights up with the warmth of him.

He hums and her eyes open, looking up at him as the music falls away and the long drawn out note of the song echoes around them. He pulls her up slowly and the next swell takes them in the opposite direction.

"It's our anniversary." He breathes softly as they turn.

"No, it's not." She smiles, but it's questioning, confused almost. She didn't forget.

"Five years ago..." He says softer still, the violins lifting them on the tips of their feet as they circle, almost on spot, once twice three times and he leads her away from the center of the dance floor. The beautiful flare of her skirt sweeping as they move and she holds his eyes waiting. "I didn't know you."

"Did we have a fight and I missed it?" She asks with a smirk, it falls into a grin when he laughs.

"No, no fighting." He pulls her tighter, spins her faster.

She raises an eyebrow, skims her lips with her tongue.

"Alright, fighting. But not now and only to make up."

"Deal." Her fingers grip him, asking for the story in silence.

"We hadn't met yet." He breathes, "In one hour and fifty six minutes, it will be the anniversary of the first time we met."

"Officially." She teases, knowing he hates that he doesn't remember signing her books.

"Officially." He concedes, dipping her again, lower this time, deliberately skimming her spine as he does. His palms sweep the long length of her back, trailing her shoulders, her neck until his fingers tangle in her hair.

"Four years ago," He whispers, his lips at her ear now, "We were working the Mistress venom case."

"I remember." She grins, her cheek pressing his as it lifts.

"Picturing you in tight, black leather."

"You've seen it all now."

"Mmmm. I have." They turn again, "Three years ago...I was just about getting over being frozen."

Another shiver runs through her body involuntarily and he pulls her closer, their steps slowing as the music nears the end.

"I thought I'd never be warm again." She murmurs, her head falling to his shoulder.

"Two years ago we were-"

"Stupid." She grins.

"Stubborn."

"Conflicted."

"Angry."

"Falling apart."

"Lost."

Her eyes close as she remembers the hurt they caused each other. "Learning."

"Healing." Her head lifts as he speaks, their eyes mirrored ends of one tender gaze.

"Hoping."

He hums his agreement into the soft hair at the edge of her jaw, "Longing." His lips brush against her skin, not quite a kiss but enough to make her crave one. "Loving."

"Eventually."  
"Always." He shakes his head that she could ever doubt it.

She laughs, turning her face into his neck for a little retribution. "Cheesy." Her fingers coil at the nape of his neck.

"Me, never." Another slow twirl brings them back to the middle of the floor, the rise and fall of the music nearing the end. "Last year we were..."

"Us." She breathes. "Finally."

"Undoubtedly."

"Secretly." She whispers, catching an eye or two on the next turn, not caring.

"Yeah that didn't last long."

They laugh. "Long enough." Kate smiles and goes with him, his body sending hers away on a spin, extending his wrist only to pull her back in again.

Catching her close, his hands at her shoulder, Castle pulls her body flush with his own. He spins her slowly on the last long lingering note, dipping Kate to the floor before pulling her upright again.

"This year?" She asks, her eyes wide and sparkling.

"This year we dance." He presses his lips to hers, feeling them part against his own as she draws him in on a long hot breath. Her hand at the back of his neck holding him close when he moves to lean away, stealing one last kiss before she releases him.

"The song's over." He smiles, turning to lead her from the floor.

"No it's not." She squeezes his fingers, falling easily into his arms as the music starts up again, the possibility of _next year_ dancing in her eyes.


End file.
